CHINESE MASTERS OF ART
COMPARISON OF OLD AND NEW
BRITISH TALENT
By FRANK RUTTER
Just as the living painters of Italy are heavily handicapped by the world's consciousness of the illustrious minsters their country produced in the past, so modern Chinese artists are at a terrible of the disadvantage by reason supremely high achievements of their venerated ancestora. Among the treasures of that first part of the Eumerfopoulos Collection, which has recently been placed on view at the Victoria and Albert Musetim, are several ancient Chinese paintings of the highest quality, and it is impossible not to think of these, or of Sung and other example at the British Museum, when we visit the exhihi- tion of Modern Chinese Painting which remains open at the New Burlington Galleries 8 March 25. Thus we come to this exhibition with standards of past excellence vividly present to our minds, standards which-fortunately for our European contemporaries-we usually forget when we go to the Royal Academy or the Paris Salons. Fairness demands that if we judgo the work of Ilving Chinese painters by its relation to traditions of the past, then we must be equally ready to test modern European pictures by the highest standards that Western art affords.
NEW WORLD CRITICISM
Earlier this year a similar ex- hibition of contemporary Chinese painting was held at the Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Massachu- setts, when an American critic made some very interesting com- parisons between Eastern and iVestern art. "Those scrolls,” said this writer, "do possess a quality which
dynamommends them; they are..
to
They are not copies or adapta- tions. The artists, painting landscapes, or reeds. or blog- soma, feel a personal reaction to the subject, and they struggla with their paint-brushes convey the quality of their feel- ings. And at this point we may mention a kinship with the Western world of art. For modern art anywhere does not seem to want for vivacity. It surpasses for that very quality. True, it lacks, discipline, prae- tico, co-ordination, purpose. It suffers from disrespect for res- traint; from restlessness, and an ungovernable desire for novelty. The Chinese of this era have but a fraction of the vulnerable characteristics of their con- temporaries. It may be that their rerpect for their anle cedents has saved them from many pitfalls.
So writes. Miss Dorothy Adlow, and all, who have seen the exhibi tion
the New Burlington Galleries will admit that her re- marks are very much to the point, Collectively these modern Chinese paintings impress us by their dignity and poetic feeling. We recogulse discipline in their fluent draughtmanship; restraint in their sparing use of colour. For the majority of these hanging scrolls are in black-and-white, and colour, when employed, is used with great discretion. Rarely do we and so full use of it as. in Mr. Chou Long-w's "Landscape in Blue" (202), charming symphony of cool colour, in which the drawing of the trees skilfully combines finished detail with breadth of effect.
DIGNIFIED DESIGN Realism is expressed by draughts- manship, and these modern paint- ers, like their Sung predecessors, excel in the graphic rendering of bird and animal forms. Note the vitality and expression in Mr. Chang Chu-chi's "Dog
under banana tree" Prof. Liu Hel-(64), the horse of
Thirsty (70), the broad impressionism of Mr. Jung Ta-kun's "Tiger" (29), the purposeful economy and admirable landscape perspective in Mr. Chang Ta-chlen's "The painter Wang Mien (1886-1407) riding on a buffalo" (104). Surely, as we look round this exhibition, we
must recogofso that respect for tradition has done more than save Chinese artists from the pitfalls in which many European painters floundering; it has given thoir work a serene distinction and a dignity of design rarely found in the work of Europeans, restlessly striving after novelty.
are
RICHARD ERICH Soarching current exhibitions for a British artist who acquires merit by respect for tradition, we find a happy example ready to hand in air Richard Eurich, whose nd- mirable quayside scene, "The Blue! BorgoA.Weymouth! - (24) ----WRS-
recently bought for the nation by the Contemporary Art Socfoty. lils one-man-show at the Redfern Gallery reveals a painter of great talent, who is neither restless nor scoking after novelty. Trained at the Slide, Mr. Eurich worthily maintains the tradition of that school in his disciplined draughts-
•
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
FAREWELL DINNER
GENERAL AND MRS BORRETT ENTERTAIN GOVERNOR
His Excellency the. Governor and Lady, Pest were entertained by His and while numerous Excellency the 'Goneral Oficer. “ subjects show his appre-Commanding and Mrs. Borrett, at ciation of the value of line and an official farewell dinner fast linear design, his painter - Ilke evening at Flagstaff. House. qualities are seen not only in his clear, impid colour, but also in hie three dimensional rendering of mass and recession.
Born at Bradford in 1903, Mr. Enrich is still little over 30. 1ow far he has already gone may be seen in such paintings as "Robin Hood's Town" (10) and "Ships in Harbour" (13). The sobriety of there achievements and their freedom from "vulnerable charac- terialies" persuade us that Mr. Eurich, good painter as he now 18. will advance still further in the futuro.
FORAIN
When Daumier died In 1879, J. L. Forain (1862-1931) was a young man of 27 and Dozas a man of 45. As early as the eightles Fornin had a reputation as an illustrator, and all who remember hia front-page drawings in. "GI Blas" will recognise an old friend In the subject of "La Confidence" (39), one of the finest oil paintings In the Forain Exhibition at the Arthur Tooth Galleries. Because this painting depicts a ballet girl whispering something into the ear of a rather course man, somebody is sure to say that it shows tho influence of Degas; but if there is one picture in the exhibition which shows the inimitable personal style of Forain, it is this. Degas could not have painted it.
Similarly somebody may say that
The following guests lnd the honour to attend.Major General F. W. Barron, Brigadier H. G. and Mrs. Seth Smith, Colonel J. H. and Mrs. Morris, Colonel It. A. Bryden, Colonel i, C. and Mrs. Harrison, Colonel E. St. G. and Mrs. Kirke, Colonel W. J. H. and Mrs, Bilder- beck, Colonel L. C. and Mrs. Lewis, Lieut. Colonel E. J. do C. Boys, Colonel A. B. and Mrs. Hearn, Colonel Kirby, Lt. Colonel A. C. Lt. Marah, Lt. Colonel M. and Mrs. Carrington-Sykes, Lt. Colonel R. E. Hindson, Miss M. McCormick, Captain I. P. H. Walter. Mr. W. S. A. Clough-Taylor, and Mr. R. C. Rose Price.
the magnificently powerful paint- ing "Le Pretoire" (17) shows the Influence of Daumier, though Daumier never painted anything remotely like it. Because he some. times painted law courts and ballet girls, let us not Imagine that Forain spent his life imitating Daumier and Degas. He was in- fluenced by them, as Daumier was Influenced by Goya and Degas by Ingres; but the paintings and drawings at Tooth's, should suffice to prove that Forain was not only in great draughisman but a fine painter and a true artfat with a strong personality.
Shrove Tuesday football in the River Henmore, near Ashbourne, was abolished by James I in, 1830 because so many playóre were killed.
is abolished1
Here it
Oxford's hefty oarsmen at work before the great race with Cambridge,
last Saturday.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 10, 1935.
The Intesi gear for Beltlah firemen in this flame-proof suit.
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This is what the tornado looked like as it approached Mis- sissippi the other day and took a score of lives.
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A. tsa party was gisan by Mayor Wu Te-chen for Mr. M. Nint and K. Taukagoshi, who piloted the Tokyo Asali'a goodwill, plana from Japan to China, at the Mayor's residence on Avenue Haig, A beautiful silver pagoda was presented to the fliera by the Mayor.
BOY B
After more than a week of heroic strugglas, H.M.S. Frobish:roubht the British oil tanker. Valverde, safely, lato Bermuda.. above picture ahows the Valvarda as the raicus ship first sighted her after flamei had swept the vessel in mid-Atlantic. One of the crow was killed when the flames forded them to Lis stora of the ship,
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